Improvement in the construction of watches



DANIEL G. OURRIER, 0F WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 108,332, dated October 18, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN TH'E CONSTRUCTION OF WATCHES.

The Schedule referred to m these Letters Patent and making part ofthe same.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DANIEL (i. Gunmen, late of Waltham, Massachusetts, now ot' Springfield, in the county of Sangarnon and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in WTatcheS; and I hereby declare that the following is a full v and exact dcscriptionthereot', reference being had to the accon'ipanying drawings and to the letters ot' reference marked thereon. 'l

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a top view of the top plate of a watchmovement, with barrel-bridge and balance-bridge there/ini.

lligure 2 is a transverse section on Aline n; x, fig. I.

Ifigurc 3 is an inverted plan of top plate, with potance thereon.

Figure 4 is a bottom view ot' the pillar-plato.

Figure 5 is a view ot the lower side ot' thc barrel and stop-works.

Figure 6 is the upper side oi' an ordinary watch'- plato.

Figure 7 is the under side ofthe same.

Figure S is a view of the under side of the pillarplate, with the third bridge seen at S, as commonly used.

The saine letters rel'cr tothe same parts in thc different tigures.

My invention consists- First, of making a very thick pillar-plate, and in forming pins in the same piece with the pillar-plate Second, in making a projection or boss, by means ot'swedging; and

Thirdly, iu a groove in the index sido oi' the top plate, to allow the barrel to be removed.

In the construction oi' my improved watch, the balance-bridge or cock a, tig. 1, is on the side of the barrel-bridge b, opposite to the similar bridge seen at a', iig. 6, which represent the usual watches.

By this arrangement thc barrel-bridge may he made shorter, as it docs not require to reach across thethird wheel, as in the old way.

Also, the inde-x c of the regulator has its heel on one side of the center of the watch, and its point on the other side of the center, and thus a longer indexarm may be used, and yet preserve the harmony of arrangement, while a longer scale and finer graduation may be employed. Therefore, I secure a more sensitive regulator, and at the same time improve the appearance of the watch, by giving the regulator a more central position.

The potance d, figs. 3 and 9, which serves asa step for the lower end ot' the balance-stati', is made very compact, having a circular base and circular projection, g, Figure 9, with the common semicircular recess inl the side of the base. By this construction the po' tance can be completely finished by turning in a lathe, and three times setting in the chuck. It is held in place by a single screw and three steady pins.

Instead of recessing, in the usual way, nearly the full face of the pillar-plate, and then employing a third bridge to hold thc pivots of the third, fourth, and escapcment-wheels, I leave or form the main portion of this plate thick enough to dispense with the third bridge, and then I recess the plate for im'- bedding the motion-wheels. And in making this rccess, I leave or form a pin, made from the substance ofthe plate itself, as shown iu Figure 11, at j), for the minute-wheel.

Also, in recessing for the click work, I leave or form a similar solid pin, Ii, fig. 4, formed from the substance of the plate itselt`,t'or holding the click or pawl.

The click work is covered by a circular plate, t, Figure 10, which is imbedded so as to come iiush with thc general surface of the pillar-plate, and serves for the support to the lower pivot of the main wheel or barrel.

In this construction of watch, it has been neces sary to remove not only the barrel-bridge b, fig. 1, but also the top plate A, in order to remove the barrel.

. But I have cnt away the lower edge, or part ot' the thickness of the top plate, as shown at V V, 3, in order to let the barrel-teeth pass, and thus allow the removal of the barrel or main wheel without removing the top plate.

After the plate B is recessed and the top or face stoned off, and before it is gilded, a projection is forced up, by swedging the thin metal, in order to form a boss or projection, m, iig. 2, -for holding the male stop, and thus preventing it from dropping out ot' gear with the female stop. This construction is cheaper and better than a turned boss or a washer'.

The face of the plate can he stoned off wit-h ease, and yet it is all'in one piece, and there is no washer t0 make or lose.

The base of the potance may be made very compact, and held with one screw, as above described, as,

lfor instance, it may be triangular, or only partially circular, but I prefer the circular potance, above described.

I do not herein claim the arrangement ot' the balance-bridge, and the construction of the potance, as I have made application for a separate patent for those devices.

Having thus fully described my invention,

I claim- 1. The above-described plate B, when its face is left iiush, or nearly iiush, with the dial-seat, in order to dispense with the third bridge, substantially as described.

2. A pin or pins, formed in a recess, from thel ubstanee of the plate iis-self, subst-antiaily as set ort-h.

3. The above-described boss or projection m, when formed by swedging or forcing up the thin metziLsubstantiziiiy as specicd.`

4. The under-cut or beveled edge, on the under side of the barrel-opening of the top pla/3e, to fauilit'at1 the removal of the barrel, substat-ially as seb ort DANIEL G. CURRIER.

Witnesses:

F. M. STOWE, WASHINGTON GILBERT. 

